Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

November 29, 2021

Credits

Recipe modified from LittleMuffinWhore on Reddit.

Ingredients

Makes 12 muffins

Amount	Ingredient
300g	banana, ripe, mashed
50g	sugar
240g	flour, all-purpose, unbleached
1 tsp	baking powder
½ tsp	baking soda
½ tsp	cinnamon
1 tsp	salt
90g	chocolate chips, semi-sweet
245g	milk
50g	oil
2 tsp	vinegar, white

Process

Preheat oven to 350°F
Mash bananas and sugar together in a shallow bowl, set aside
In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients until uniform. Add chocolate chips; mix. Add banana mash + wet ingredients and mix gently until most of the flour is absorbed (some dry patches here and there are fine)
Spray muffin tray with spray oil and divide batter evenly between all 12 cavities

Bake: 25 minutes

Remove from oven and let muffins cool in tray

Nutrition

100g = 278 calories

Approximately 193 calories per muffin.

Notes

The recipe is very forgiving and will work with less banana or a little bit more
If you fall short in banana amount, you can make up the difference using some other fruit puree or applesauce (to keep the moisture ratio)
Process can be simplified by mashing bananas in the same large bowl as everything else will go in
Oven temperatures vary; start checking on the muffins at around the 20 minute mark, then every 5 minutes or so
If using frozen bananas:
- thaw in fridge overnight or in microwave if in a pinch
- squish defrosted bananas in bag to mash

breakfast ○ calories calculated ○ dump and go ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ vegetarian

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

November 29, 2021

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

Amount	Ingredient
3 T	butter
1 large	onion, diced
2 stalks	celery, diced
1	bell pepper, red, large, diced
1 tsp	garlic, minced
4 tsp	Better Than Bouillon no-chicken base
30oz	water
30oz	tomatoes, diced
¼ cup	basil, fresh
2½ T	tomato paste
1 tsp	salt + to taste
1 tsp	fresh ground black pepper
2 T	balsamic vinegar + to taste
½ tsp	MSG + to taste
½ cup	Parmesan cheese, fresh grated
½ cup	heavy cream

Process

Instant Pot

set Instant Pot to sauté mode, melt butter and sauté onions, celery, and bell pepper until tender
add garlic, cook 1 minute until fragrant
add the rest of the ingredients (except Parmesan and heavy cream)

Pressure: high
Time: 5 minutes
Release: quick

purée contents with immersion blender until smooth
stir in Parmesan and heavy cream, let warm through; serve hot

Stovetop

Use a heavy-bottomed pot and instead of pressure cooking in step 3, simmer until everything is tender and starts to break down.

Nutrition

Calories = 1,215 total recipe (152 per serving)

Notes

blend less for chunky soup
use (1) 28oz can or (2) 14 oz. cans for the tomatoes. 2 oz less than the full 30 called for in the recipe isn’t a big deal but the difference can be made up with fresh tomatoes so a third can isn’t opened unnecessarily
a 30oz box of stock can be used instead of the BTB base + water
a large carrot can be substituted for the red bell pepper, though the latter is tastier

See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.

Instant Pot // Recipe // Soup // Stovetop

better than takeout ○ calories calculated ○ freezer friendly ○ italian ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ vegetarian

Simple Aloo Salan

November 29, 2021

Credits

Recipe from My Heart Beets.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Amount	Ingredient
1½ lbs	potatoes, peeled, whole
2 T	oil
2 tsp	cumin seeds
½ tsp	mustard seeds
1	Serrano pepper, minced
2 cups	water
1 tsp	salt
1 tsp	turmeric
½ tsp	dried mango powder (amchur)
½ tsp	Kashmiri chili powder / paprika
¼ tsp	black pepper
¼ tsp	cayenne

Process

Dump all the ingredients except the cilantro in the instant pot

Pressure: High
Time: 10 minutes
Release: 10 minutes natural

Break up the potatoes into chunks, squishing some into the soup to thicken.
Garnish with cilantro.

Nutrition

Calories: 197 per serving (¼ of recipe)

Notes

If adding eggs, steam in instant pot separately

Pressure: High
Time: 6 minutes
Release: Quick

It’s possible to do the eggs at the same time as the salan by using a high trivet, but the potatoes would need to be chopped in order to account for the reduced pressure time, I haven’t perfected the timing yet so experiment at your own risk.

Instant Pot // Mains // Recipe // Soup

calories calculated ○ desi ○ dump and go ○ eggs ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Balsamic Reduction

November 28, 2021
A cup of balsamic vinegar can be cooked down as-is into a thick, syrupy glaze. This is my preferred method, which I find sweet enough. If you must add sugar, use the recipe below.

Ingredients

Amount Ingredient
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 T sugar

Any kind of sugar should work here (cane, raw, brown, granulated,). I would avoid powdered, as I haven’t tested that and it tends to behave in sometimes unexpected ways.

Process
1. Add all ingredients in a small sauce pot set on medium high heat.
2. Boil until reduced by half or desired consistency is reached.
3. Cool to room temp before using (optional)
Notes
- Extra reduction can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container, preferably glass.
- Pairs great with caprese salad, bruschetta, caprese appetizers, drizzled on artisanal pizzas, in paninis, etc. Some rave about drizzling it over vanilla ice cream.
Accompaniments // Recipe // Stovetop

cold ○ condiment ○ dressing ○ italian ○ pantry ingredients ○ quick ○ sauce ○ vegetarian
Shahi Raita

November 28, 2021
All amounts are really to-taste. The below “recipe” is just an approximation.

Ingredients

Amount Ingredients
225g yogurt
1½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 T mint, fresh, ribboned
2 T cilantro, fresh, chopped
120g cucumber, chopped
70g tomatoes, chopped
100g milk

Process
1. Combine all the ingredients except milk in a medium sized bowl.
2. Add milk to thin until desired consistency is reached
Nutrition

52 calories per 100g

Notes
- I like to keep all the liquid from the tomatoes to help thin out the final product; it might also give it a pretty, slightly pink color.
Additions & Variations
- finely diced onions
- shredded carrots
- chaat masala (makes it tangy/chatpata)
- tamarind (makes it a bit tart)
Accompaniments // No Cook // Recipe

calories calculated ○ cold ○ desi ○ dump and go ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ pakistani ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Amount	Ingredient
1 cup	balsamic vinegar
1 T	sugar

Amount	Ingredients
225g	yogurt
1½ tsp	cumin seeds
¼ tsp	salt
¼ tsp	black pepper
2 T	mint, fresh, ribboned
2 T	cilantro, fresh, chopped
120g	cucumber, chopped
70g	tomatoes, chopped
100g	milk

Lentil Salad

November 25, 2021

Credits

Recipe adapted from Instant Pot Tangy Lentil Salad.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

For the Lentils

Amount	Ingredient
200g	lentils, brown, dry
2 cups	water
2 tsp	Better than Bouillon chicken base
½ tsp	thyme
1	bay leaf

For the Salad

Amount	Ingredient
¼ cup	lemon juice, fresh
¼ cup	onion, diced
½	jalapenño, minced
1 stalk	celery, diced
1	cucumber, mini
2 T	olive oil, extra virgin
1 T	garlic, minced
½ tsp	parsley, dried
½ tsp	oregano, dried
¾ tsp	salt
¼ tsp	black pepper

Process

Add all ingredients under “For the Lentils” to instant pot:

Pressure: High
Time: 8 minutes
Release: Quick

In a medium-sized bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, starting with the lemon, onion, and jalapeño so that they can quick pickle while assembling the rest of the salad.
When lentils are done, discard bay leaf and add contents to salad

This can be enjoyed warm or cold.

Nutrition

Calories: 235 per serving

Notes

You can substitute red bell pepper for the celery (as in picture)
If having the salad cold, be sure to wait for the lentils to cool before adding them to salad greens, otherwise they will wilt
Tahini can be added (to taste) to make it creamier and give a slight Middle Eastern flavor
Picture shows salad on a bed of baby kale

Instant Pot // Recipe // Salad

cold ○ lentils ○ photo ○ vegetarian

Cherry Almond Scones

November 25, 2021

Credits

Recipe adapted from Everyday Gourmet with Blakely.

Ingredients

Makes 4 scones

Amount	Ingredient
120g	flour, all purpose, unbleached
25g + 6g	sugar, divided
1tsp	baking powder
⅛ tsp	salt
28g	butter, cold
1 tsp	vanilla extract
⅛ tsp	almond extract
90g	milk
½ cup	cherries, fresh, pitted, halved
15g	almonds, slivered

Process

Preheat oven (or toaster oven / airfryer) at 425° F.
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add cold butter and work into the dry ingredients with your hands until all the butter has become little bits.
Mix in vanilla and almond extracts, milk, cherries, and almonds.
Turn dough out onto parchment paper and press into a rough square of even thickness. Wet hands with water if dough is sticking.
Cut an “X” shape into the dough to form 4 triangle pastries.
Wet the tops with water (or milk) and dust with the 6g of sugar.

Bake: 20 minutes

Nutrition

Calories: 240 per scone

Notes

If using raw almonds, cover with water and microwave for 1 minute, remove skins, then sliver
Rotate tray halfway through bake time if browning is uneven; this varies by oven.

Oven // Recipe // Sweets

baking ○ better than takeout ○ breakfast ○ calories calculated ○ pastry ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Thai Basil Fried Rice with Chicken

November 25, 2021

Credits

Recipe adapted from a combination of this Allrecipes.com listing and Hot Thai Kitchen.

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

Amount	Ingredient
3 T	oyster sauce
3 T	fish sauce
1 tsp	sugar
12 oz	chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw
42g	oil, neutral, divided
½ cup	onion, chopped
1 cup	bell pepper, red, chopped
½ cup	carrot, shredded
2	Serrano peppers, slit
1 T	garlic, minced
680g	rice, Jasmine, cooked
1 T	soy sauce, less sodium
½ cup	cilantro, chopped
¼ cup	Thai basil, fresh

Process

Prep

Mix oyster sauce, fish sauce and sugar in small bowl; use half the mixture to marinate the chicken.
Prep the rest of the vegetables and ingredients (chop onion, bell pepper, slit Serranos)

Cook

In a large wok, heat HALF the oil until shimmering and add marinated chicken along with any marinade that’s settled in the bottom of the bowl (NOT the rest of the mixture which was set aside in step 1)
Saute chicken until mostly cooked through and no longer pink on the outside. Cut into a piece to see if it’s cooked. Remove from wok and set aside.
In the same wok, without cleaning, add the remaining oil and stir fry the onions, bell peppers, carrots, Serrano peppers and garlic to desired doneness.
Add rice and continue to stir fry.
Add marinade mixture set aside in step 1, plus soy sauce; stir to distribute sauce evenly.
Add chicken back to wok (with any accumulated juices), cilantro, and Thai basil; stir fry until chicken is cooked through.

Serve hot with sliced cucumbers and fresh lime wedges

Nutrition

Calories: 300 per serving (⅙th of recipe)

Notes

1 mini cucumber = 10 calories, juice of half a lime = 6 calories
Go easy on the serrano if you can’t tolerate heat very well
If your wok or frying pan is small, make the recipe in batches

Mains // Recipe // Stovetop

asian ○ better than takeout ○ calories calculated ○ chicken ○ meat ○ photo ○ quick ○ rice ○ stir-fry ○ thai

Dumpling Soup

November 25, 2021

Ingredients

Makes 1 serving

Amount	Ingredient
¼ tsp	oil, sesame
½ tsp	garglic chili paste
1 tsp	ginger paste
1 tsp	garlic, minced
1 tsp	Better than Bouillon no-chicken base
1 cup	water
4 pieces	frozen wontons
2 T	carrots, shredded
½	green onion
1	mushroom, crimini, chopped
1½ tsp	hoisin sauce
2 tsp	ponzu sauce

Process

In a small pot, bloom the ginger, garlic, chili paste, and chicken base in oil for 1 minute.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until dumplings are warmed through and carrots are soft, about 3-5 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 120

Notes

Can substitute 1 cup of vegetable broth or use vegetable base instead of the chicken base + water, I use the no-chicken version since the chicken one isn’t halal
Any flavor of frozen wontons will work
Can add chicken or other protein to it; probably easiest to use pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken and just let it warm through with all the other ingredients

Recipe // Soup // Stovetop

asian ○ calories calculated ○ comfort food ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Caprese Salad

November 25, 2021
Ingredients

Makes 1 serving

Amount Ingredient
100g Mozzarella, fresh
½ tomato, medium
to taste salt
½ T olive oil, extra virgin
1 T Balsamic vinegar
3 T basil, fresh, ribboned

Process
1. Slice tomato into rounds, sprinkle with salt and layer with the mozzarella.
2. Distribute basil evenly and drizzle with oil and vinegar.
Nutrition

Calories: 350 (whole recipe)

Notes
- You can reduce balsamic in a small pot to concentrate it down and thicken the consistency; it will become a balsamic glaze and be a little sweeter.
- 25g of spinach will add 5 calories.
No Cook // Recipe // Salad

better than takeout ○ calories calculated ○ cold ○ italian ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Credits

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Nutrition

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Instant Pot

Stovetop

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Ingredients

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Additions & Variations

Credits

Ingredients

For the Lentils

For the Salad

Process

Nutrition

Notes

Credits

Ingredients

Process

Nutrition

Notes

Credits

Ingredients

Process

Prep

Cook

Nutrition

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Ingredients

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Ingredients

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